Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has accused Europe of attempting to derail US-Russia peace negotiations over Ukraine, citing its unwavering alignment with Kyiv’s position and exclusion from the upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

Writing in India Narrative, Sibal noted that European leaders have pledged continued military and financial support to Ukraine, alongside more sanctions on Russia, making Ukraine’s security a vital element of Europe’s own security doctrine. However, he highlighted what he called a “contradiction” — Europe demands a role in the talks while strongly opposing US-Russia negotiations.

According to Sibal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky views “security guarantees” as code for NATO membership or similar assurances. Several European countries — including France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Denmark, and Poland — have signed decade-long agreements to aid Ukraine, though without US backing, these commitments carry limited weight.

The Alaska summit follows multiple meetings between Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin, with Moscow reportedly finding the latest US proposal acceptable. Leaks suggest a possible land-swap arrangement: Russia withdrawing from parts of Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk in exchange for Ukraine ceding Donbass, while Zaporizhzhia and Kherson battle lines are frozen.

Sibal noted that Western critics see the summit as a diplomatic win for Putin, granting him parity with the US President. Beyond Ukraine, talks are expected to cover economic cooperation and nuclear arms control, with the New START Treaty expiring in 2026. US strategists also believe Trump aims to distance Russia from China.

India has welcomed the dialogue, reiterating PM Narendra Modi’s stance that “this is not an era of war.” Sibal added that a breakthrough could even remove Trump’s justification for imposing a 25% tariff penalty on India over its Russia ties.